Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-20
DAILY HERALD.
WOMAN's CHIEFEST CHARM.
The Fetching Manners of Some
Famous Women.


A woman's surest charm is her
manner. No one ever saw an old
maid who was high-bred, dashing and
direct. She may be sweet and amia-
BILE, Lut she lacks the peculiar charm
Of graciousless and insistence, else
she could never be an old maid. Man
kind would forbid it. On the train to
Newport the other day man and q
fourteen year old girl wandered
through the car looking for seat that
would accommodate them both.
None but half seats were in view.
An agreeable youth arose and insisted
on giving up his seat, and the girls
escort said thanks after the usual
stolid fashion. But the girl turned
toward the stranger, leaned forward,
clasped her little hands, beamed up
directly into his eyes, and said, with
the softest and most caressing tone in
the world:
"Oh, you're SO very kind"
'Non-not at ALL" stammered the
man, smiling at her responsively.
Indeed you are," murmured the
girl, with knowing and wise little
shake of her head.
The man strobe on with a long
drawn breath and his eyes very wide
open, while the girl cuddled up beside
her brother, put her head on his
shoulder, after smiling up into his
face, and went gently off to sleep.
Every face in the car wore more hu
man expression, and half the passen-
gers beamed on the child fondly. She
was not beautiful, but her manner was
rs grateful a, a shower on a sultry
August day. If she isn't married be-
fore her twentieth year signs go
wrong and the worlds turned inside
out.
from dirty business street into half
heaven of gratified complacency once
by few words and a soft and mellow
look from her big blue eyes. II was
on Park Row, and she had just stepped
into her carriage when sturdy young
fellow saw an old woman pause and
stagger in front of team of horses.
She was on crutches. We all saw her.
There was no real danger. No one
moved for moment, and we stood
staring at her with the stolidity born
of the muggy heat, when the sturdy
young man jumped forward, took her
in his arms, and carried her quietly to
the walk. Then he colored and looked
ashamed. The woman thanked him
awkwardly with a trembling lip, and
he nodded half surlily and started on,
but before he had gone dozen steps
Blanche Roosevelt jumped from the
earriage-nearly bowling me over
4tanv TO f1a
faced youth seized one Of his hands
and gave an ecstatic little squeeze.
He turned and found a woman's face
looking into his. 1t was wonderfully
expressive face. The eyes spoke vol
umes. He looked into them and
seemed transfxed. Miss Roosevelt
smiled, and said in a soft voice, as
though whispering to baby:
You're good fellow, you area
good fellow"
Then she dashed back into the car
riage, while the mans chest swelled
out, and he stood looking after her,
breathing in veritable gulps.
"He'll be aghast with delight for
week, /" said as closed the door.
'Do you know what he is ?" asked !!
the girl, peeping back at him as he
stood peering hotly after her. "He's
q hero, if he does turn in his toes" |
Ellen Terry owes her fetching quail
tiles to her wonderful manner. Inever
saw her face in repose but once in my
life. 1t startled me. The light died
out and dead, expressionless mask
seemed to spread itself over her fea- /
lures. There was reason for it, too. |
A luncheon of six covers was going |
on, and one Of the guests had written !
q play that he was anxious to hear
Miss Terry read. He was veritable !
crank on the subject, though |
otherwise genial and pleas ,
ant man, famous yachtsman.
and high light in clubdom.
Miss Terry did not want to hear
about the play-nor did the rest of us. |
There was vast amount of fencing
and parrying every time the amateur
iramatist lugged in his hobby by its
long and asinine ears, but as the
luncheon progressed we grew frayed,
ratified and fatigued. l had given up
the fight and was leaning back in my
chair watching the light and shade in
Ellen Terry's face, when there came a
sudden silence, as sometimes occurs
after lot of people have been talking.
1t was fatal. Two or three of us start
ed forward mechanically, in frenzied
effort to fill the void, but we were too
late. The dramatist seized his oppor-
tunity to oppress us with impunity,
and he held the fort against all comers
for long and dreary period. When
he was about half through with de-
tailed description of the heroine's
emotions in a certain situation, / said
warmly:
"That's the best climax for last
act that l ever heard. 1t reminds
me-"
"Oh, but that's only the opening
scene of the first act" he said, cheer
fully and eagerly, "and there are six I
acts in ALL"
l quit at that point, but glanced at
Miss Terry as l went back into the
comfortable recesses of my chair. The
life went out of her face, and l saw it
as it was in bald physical sense.
The mouth looked large, the nose
short and the eyes dull. 1t was only
for moment. During the rest of the
ordeal she was as bright and thor
0ughly entertained woman as anvil
man could desire for listener, to all
outward appearances, though she was
unquestionably bored prodigiously.
Her manner endeared her to a score
of men the first day she came to
America. A small party went down
the bay to meet Irving and Terry on
Washington Connor's yacht. Irving
came down the gang-plank with
unruffled dignity of bearing, and
after he had taken up posi-
tion on the lee of the pilot-house-it
was blowing a little, / remember
Miss Terry romped down like school
girl, waived a saucy adieu to her ac-
quaintances on the steamer, and after